Frankl's Existentialism

• Born in 1905 in Vienna, died in 1997
  • Spent time in concentration camp- Theresienstadt transferred to Auschwitz
  • father died in camp in 1943
  • 1944 wife and mom taken to Auschwitz; mother murdered, wife died at age 24
  • He observed his theories here
  • They led him to wonder why some people did well and others didn't

• Believed people could choose whether they were productive or not
• Every human being is free to make choices
• Choose whether they grow or change or if they don't live to their full potential
• happiness comes from commitment and accepting responsibility
• the people who deal with despair well have good reason to live
• Conscience- seen as unconscious spirituality, different from Freudian unconscious
• Cyclical Effects
  • Trying too hard can prevent success
    • Insomniacs try to fall asleep, which keeps them awake, which makes them try harder
  • Paranoid behavior can make the feared event occur
    • for example, worrying too much about a test causes a bad grade

Origin of Neurotic Behavior

• Anxiety and despair result from aloneness
• Fear of being responsible for making decisions about life

• Finding something to believe in. Example - Value, Religion, Moral
• Taking responsibility or action
• Taking a risk
• Discover meaning through values
• Making a commitment
• Stages aren't clearly defined; no age requirements